Articles on our Blog that mention this school (newest articles are shown first):
Comment Topic Highlight
Why Are People Staying at or Leaving Your International School?
May 23, 2022
If you work at an international school, you know that your decision to stay or leave has already been decided by now. Teachers most likely have already decided whether they will stay for another year or two at their current school or move on back home or to another international school.
At some international schools, 1/4 or 1/3 of their current teachers decide to let their school know that they will be moving on at the end of the school year. Though it is not the case necessarily at other international schools that have a lot of local hires (not necessarily on foreign-hired contracts). Those with lots of local hires generally tend to have teachers that want to stay there for longer periods of time because they have more ties to the local country (e.g. they are married to a local, etc.).
Regardless of the personal situation of the teacher, another big factor that guides a teacher’s decision to stay or leave is the school itself. For example, the school might be losing student numbers as of late. Fewer students mean less demand for all the teachers on the current staff roster, meaning some need to go whether they like it or not. Maybe even the school has decided to alter or eliminate the staff children benefit (to have them attend the school for free). And the list goes on…
There are of course even other factors that come into play that affect this big decision that a number of teachers need to make each year. One of these factors is that the school has decided to move in a direction that doesn’t match your teaching philosophy anymore. Staying at a school that doesn’t match you and your teaching style can be a serious concern leading you to search for other positions in a school that better suit you.
The biggest factor to stay or leave might just boil down to money, plain and simple. If the school isn’t meeting your needs financially anymore, there are many more that probably will.
So the question for you is why are YOU going to stay or leave your current school? It might be one of these reasons listed above or a combination of these and even other reasons.
Luckily, International School Community has a comment topic on our school profile pages related to this topic of staying or leaving, so you can stay the most informed as possible. There are a total of 477 comments (May 2022) that have been submitted by our veteran international school teachers in one of 67 comment topics called – “In general, why are people staying at or leaving this school?”
Here are a few of those submitted comments:
“People are staying because they are mostly not getting a better job anywhere else and people are leaving because of the rude behavior, less salary, false promises, promotion of wrong candidate, lack of resources and overloaded routine.” – Indus International School (Pune) (Pune, India) – 43 Total Comments
“Staying because the campus is nice, supply and PD budgets are generous, students are overall courteous and engaged, and because Berlin rocks. Leaving because salaries are too low, and some departments are more disorganized than others.” – Berlin Brandenburg International School (Berlin, Germany) – 87 Comments
“Staying: Turnover is low. In my opinion, people are staying because the school climate is generally very positive – it is a happy place to work. The school has generally got its act together (curriculum, policies, etc) very well so there are structures in place to make teaching positive. It is a vibrant, stimulating place to work. Japan is a lovely place to live. Leaving: The cliche is single females find it harder to date in Tokyo and that could be a reason to leave. The school’s pay is OK and the school’s reputation is good and growing but the pay is not as great as some other big-name schools. People leave as they get the experience and then are drawn to the lure of $$. This is especially the case of teachers in their late 40’s looking for a pension.” – Tokyo International School (Tokyo, Japan) – 140 Total Comments
“People stay a long time because the pay and benefits are great, the city is very livable, the cost of living is low and the classes are not too large.” – Anglo-American School of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg, Russia) – 38 Comments
“The overall package is hard to beat and the staff is not overworked. Combined with minimal classroom management requirements due to small class sizes, DISK really is a great place to work.” – Doshisha International School Kyoto (Kyoto, Japan) – 140 Comments
“If you survive your first year most teachers stay on. The first year is a challenge, especially if you are late arriving (a common issue because of how long it takes to get a visa).” – Tsinghua International School (Beijing) (Beijing, China) – 193 Comments
continue readingInformation for Members
11 International Schools that have Relaxing Environments
May 31, 2020
Who doesn’t want to work in a relaxed environment at their work? Then after you leave work, you enter into a very relaxed local city environment and home. Sounds pretty nice, right?
However, the world of international schools and the cities they are situated in aren’t always so relaxing! On the other hand, it is important to note that there are indeed a number of schools that are!
Work-related stress can really take a toll on one’s wellbeing, so it is good to keep healthy and give yourself breaks and time to reflect. Talking about your worries and concerns also helps to keep you calm and focused. Meanwhile, it is nice when there are opportunities to do that at your school and you have supportive colleagues that are good listeners and in good spirits themselves.
If your host city is chaotic, that can take a toll on your wellbeing as well. Pollution and lack of nature around may give you less opportunities to recharge yourself and enjoy a well-deserved and relaxing break.
International schools can do a number of things to create a more laid-back environment for its staff. Some schools have a massage therapist come and do appointments on campus once every 2 weeks or so. Other schools allow more autonomy to their teachers in how they want to organize their workday and teach in their classes without being micromanaged. And the list of possible actions goes on…
Cities can and should also make choices that make their neighbourhoods more relaxed. Expanding the urban greenery, working on noise reduction, protecting the water and buildings, and inspiring public recreational facilities are only some of them.
So who are the international schools that have created a more relaxed working environment? And which local cities around the world have relaxing environment to live in?
Luckily, ISC was designed to help international school teachers find the information they are looking for. Using the Comment Search feature (premium membership needed), we found 45 comments that had the keyword “Relaxed” in them. Here are 11 of them:
Thailand
“The school is quite far from the center of Chiang Mai but it is possible to find nice places to eat and plenty of local shops and markets a short car or scooter ride away. The plus side is that you have total peace and are surrounded by lush green making it a wonderfully relaxed place to live and explore. Staff are given apartments on the school grounds with the option to live off campus for those who wish it.” – Prem Tinsulanonda International School (41 total comments)
Guinea
“The school is developing and needs innovative and creative thinkers to solve the issues that developed due to the location and lack of resources in the region. Those looking for an adventure and willing to sacrifice the comforts of schools in more developed countries can enjoy relaxed work, a family like setting if the right personalities are in place.” – American International School of Conakry (47 total comments)
Malaysia
“Teaching staff are given leeway to be the professionals in the classroom. Therefore, there is a relaxed, yet committed staff. Administration promotes and values the balance between professional and personal needs.” – Mont’Kiara International School (84 total comments)
Germany
“It’s a true non-profit school. Board is not breathing down your neck. In some ways, it’s quite relaxed (no one is inspecting your lessons, usually.) In others ways, there’s unnecessary stress (poor communication, some teaching loads piled too high.)” – Berlin Brandenburg International School (81 total comments)
Costa Rica
“The culture of UWCCR is much more relaxed and informal then in most other schools. Everyone is addressed by their given name and there is no dress code for students or teachers. Since it is a community there is a more egalitarian atmosphere.” – United World College of Costa Rica (108 total comments)
France
“The school provides a lot of flexibility for students and teachers in terms of the day-to-day schedule. There is a relaxed atmosphere at many points in the year.” – American School of Paris (51 total comments)
Norway
“We are a small team, we get on really well and are very supportive of each other. If you came here thinking that this is a wealthy school with amazing resources, you would be disappointed. If you come here thinking that this is a friendly, relaxed place where teachers and students really grow, then you would be happy!” – Norlights International School Oslo (114 total comments)
Ukraine
“It is a pretty relaxed city and low costs make eating out very easy. As stated below, the architecture is amazing!” – Pechersk School International (162 total comments)
Indonesia
“There is a Christmas tea hosted for the staff on campus where all the expat and Indonesian staff from all grade levels get an opportunity to spend some relaxed moments together.” – Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School (203 total comments)
Indonesia
“People stay because it is relaxed, easy, and relatively safe. People leave because of the extra 9% taxes that kick in the 2nd year that are not offset and that you are not told about in the interview. People also leave because of the culture of the parents, not being able to grow, and not having a lot to do when not working.” – American School of Asuncion (145 total comments)
Cambodia
“People are leaving to pursue international teaching careers. People are staying because they enjoy the relaxed lifestyle.” – Ican British International School (74 total comments)
continue readingDiscussion Topics
Is it stressful working at your international school?
September 4, 2019
You probably had a wonderful, relaxing summer vacation. Weeks of hanging out with your best friends and other seasoned international school teachers around the world can truly be most stressless time of the year.
It is exciting and fun to get back to school though and catch up with your colleagues (or get to know the new ones). Even when the kids start and lessons begin, there is still a good feeling in the air.
But after this honeymoon period of 2-4 weeks, the stress starts to creep in for at least some international school teachers.
So many factors come into play that might cause stress. Maybe the administration has some back-to-school initiatives and some new demands for the teaching staff that are overwhelming the staff. Maybe some of your students’ parents have been filling your inbox with messages that require prompt replies as you are also preparing the next day’s lessons. Maybe even you are meeting with your new teaching team and the discussions aren’t going so smoothly about how you plan be working together this year as everyone appears to have slightly different working styles.
And the list of stress-inducing factors goes on and on…with no real solution in sight.
On the positive side, many staff at international schools do work hard to try and reduce the stress levels of its staff. During the teacher inservice days, some international schools are, for example, taking some time to run whole staff yoga/breathing/stretching sessions. Taking a moment to meditate and connect to your inner-self can truly be a good daily practice to incorporate.
Other international schools cater a back-to-school BBQ for the whole staff during the first few weeks of schools. Relaxing, eating and chatting with your colleagues in such a way can really create the right climate for a more relaxing environment at work.
International schools should be mindful of planning in these types of things to help reduce stress in staff. Not just at the beginning of the school year, but maybe throughout. Additionally, it is important for staff to keep a health work/life balance as well when school is in session. “All work and no play….”
The big question always though is “what would a dream school do?” Is there such a thing as a stress-free life for a teacher working at an international school? Some schools are getting it right it seems, so it is definitely possible to reduce at least some level of stress.
Using the ISC’s unique Comment Search feature (premium access required), we found 58 comments that have the keyword stress in it. Some international schools have good news to share about how they helping teachers to reduce their stress. Other schools are struggling to achieve similar results. Here are just a few of the comment results:
“SLT mean well, but it’s gone past the point where it’s possible to get morale back to where it should be. Most teachers are fed up, stressed and over-worked.” – Smart Vision School (41 total comments)
“With the hiring of the new Lower Primary Principal and Associate Principal, morale has completely turned around in this division (K1, K2, G1, G2). So much is happening to create a positive and happy atmosphere. Many teacher requests to alleviate their stress/work load have been honored (less ad-on activities, meetings…just a reduction to the overall schedule). Also, once a month principals do an activity with an entire grade level so teachers can have that time to meet, or do work. (The kids also really know the principals). Once a month, principals host a gathering on a Friday after school. Whenever, this division has had a particularly busy day or week, our Principal stops by our rooms to check in and tell us to ‘go home’. 🙂 Let’s hope the morale can improve schoolwide.” – Hong Kong International School (136 total comments)
“It’s a true non-profit school. Board is not breathing down your neck. In some ways, it’s quite relaxed (no one is inspecting your lessons, usually.) In others ways, there’s unnecessary stress (poor communication, some teaching loads piled too high.)” – Berlin Brandenburg International School (80 total comments)
“There are 2 days for new teachers to attend at the beginning of the school year, before the other staff return. Given the complexities of the school, this is inadequate and can be a stressful experience for new staff. There are no social niceties or outings organised for new staff, who basically are expected to hit the ground running.” – College du Leman – International School (85 total comments)
“This is one of the biggest stressors at the school. The finance department can be very demanding and expects all forms to be filled out perfectly. It is not uncommon for teachers to have to fill out reimbursement forms multiple times, including getting signatures from 3-4 different admins depending on what is being reimbursed. Get used to hearing the term ‘fapiao’ used a lot. If you don’t have the correct one you won’t get reimbursed. It usually ends up working out for teachers, but the process can be quite rough.” – UWC Changshu China (38 total comments)
continue readingInformation for Members
12 Submitted Comments About the “Awesome” Parts of Working at International Schools
March 17, 2019
International School Community is full of tens of thousands of useful, informative comments…31058 comments (17 March 2019) to be exact.
Members are recommended to keep their comments objective on our website and share what they know about what it is like working at a specific international school.
We scoured our database of comments, and we found 12 that stood out to us as being some of the most interesting and useful ones related to the “awesome” parts of working at international schools from across the globe.
12. PARENTS ONLY – General comments from parents of students that go to this school. How was your child’s education and socialisation at the school?
“The preschool is fantastic. Teachers and assistants were excellent and our child learned a huge amount! One memorable field trip was to the local international airport where students visited the traffic control tower and got to role play…pretty awesome.” – MC School (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) – 49 Comments
11. Describe the different aspects of the school building and the school grounds. Also, describe the surrounding area around the campus.
“The new Middle School is up and running! It’s pretty awesome. Lots of open spaces, a rooftop terrace, an auditorium, big classrooms with whiteboard walls that you can write all over. Amphitheater is also very nice, great during the spring and fall for reading outside.” – American School of Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain) – 165 Comments
10. What does the school do to create a harmonious state of well-being and high morale amongst its staff?
“We just had three weeks of mindfulness, with lots of different classes offered, including free massage at school. It was awesome! School year begins with a Karaoke night, where everyone joins in, local expat, support staff, everyone, it is fun. There are staff spirit days, we just had an amazing Christmas party and THEN a Christmas lunch. There is a system for nominating who did a great job and the names are put into the hats for prizes. At the end of this term we all received a blue tooth travel speaker and a portable drink cup, everyone not just teachers, I like that. Plus everyone is just nice to each other at work, its is happy place” – KIS International School (Bangkok) (Bangkok, Thailand) – 296 Comments
9. Name your favorite restaurants, favorite places to go to and favorite things to do in the city.
“If you want to have some tasty dumplings, I suggest to go to Chao Chao Sanjo Kiyamachi. It is a small restaurant and full of tourists, but still the food is fast and good. There are so many temples/shrines to see here. Many of them are going up the nearby mountain side. There is such beautiful nature there with amazing trees everywhere. In the spring, it is awesome and in the fall it can be very gorgeous.” – Kyoto International School (Kyoto, Japan) – 55 Comments
8.Describe the city’s weather at different times of the year.
“It is the beginning of June at the moment and the weather can’t be any better. It is sunny and warm basically every day. It is awesome. You can go out and enjoy the outdoor areas of the city. The high is in the upper 20s during the day with minimal breeze in the air. You can definitely walk around in sandals and shorts/t-shirt. Though once the sun finally goes down (like around 10pm), then it is good to have a light jacket to wear or a long sleeved shirt if you are walking around the city.” – International School of the Gothenburg Region (Gothenburg, Sweden) – 6 Comments
7. In general, why are people staying at or leaving this school?
“Staying because some people find an awesome niche in Berlin’s counterculture, or because they’ve had kids here and they’ve set up a nice suburban life near school. Leaving because some departments have disorganized, antiquated approaches, or because the school can ask for too much at times (learning to set limits is important as an employee here.)” – Berlin Brandenburg International School (Berlin, Germany) – 80 Comments
6. Describe the technologies available at the school and how people are/are not using them.
“Each classroom in grades 4-5 has their own classroom set of ipads and own classroom set of Chromebooks. It is awesome!” – Anglo American School of Sofia (Sofia, Bulgaria) – 49 Comments
5. Describe the different aspects of the school building and the school grounds. Also, describe the surrounding area around the campus.
“We have moved into our new building/campus. It is truly unbelievable. It is so huge! It can take like 20 minutes or more to walk from one tower to the other tower at the other end of the building. Being on the water is so beautiful. The sunrises and sunsets are just so awesome. With the big windows in every room, there is always a good view to look at. The kids are getting distracted by the huge ships docking and going past, so we’ll see how that continues or stops in the near future.” – Copenhagen International School (Copenhagen, Denmark) – 345 Comments
4. Describe school’s location in relation to the city center and to the teacher’s housing. How do staff get to school before and after school?
“The school has an awesome location in Seoul — 20 minutes from downtown, but there is tons to do in our own neighborhood too. Most teachers live in on-campus housing which is maintained by the school and quite nice. Walking to school from on campus housing takes about 5 minutes or less depending on which building you live in. One of the largest faculty housing units had to be demolished for the construction of the new high school (scheduled to be completed in 2018). Those faculty members have been displaced to the nearby Grand Hilton. The apartment units over there are quite nice and the school runs two shuttles from the hotel to school in the morning and in the afternoon (at different times). The hotel is about a 20-30 minute walk from school and a 5 -10 minute taxi ride. Many teachers also ride bikes or scooters from Hilton to school.” – Seoul Foreign School (Seoul, South Korea) – 147 Comments
3. Name your favorite restaurants, favorite places to go to and favorite things to do in the city.
“I haven’t been to many restaurants, but I like Rolly’s stake house. The atmosphere is awesome, food is great (they also have salads if you are vegetarian, but meet is main meal there 🙂 Also there is a really nice restaurant on Uetliberg, with the great city view, that is one of my favorite spots in Zurich. Also ride on the lake is really beautiful.” – Inter-community School Zurich (Zurich, Switzerland) – 69 Comments
2. Describe the different aspects of the school building and the school grounds. Also, describe the surrounding area around the campus.
“The school building location is awesome. The surrounding area is amidst a row of other like buildings, some residential and some other businesses. The whole area is quite nicely manicured in terms of gardens and the upkeep on the other buildings. It doesn’t necessarily look like an entrance to a school (the door to ICS), and there is just a small sign on the door letting people know.” – International Community School London (London, England) – 49 Comments
1. How is this school different or the same when compared to schools in your home country?
“The teachers at the American School of Asuncion are great and work really hard. In general, it appears that the foreign staff work harder and put in longer hours than local teachers, but this is one perception. There are lots of extracurricular activities offered after school for students: chess, sports, photography, newspaper, student council, etc. In the elementary, the workload is awesome! Primary teachers only have about 4 hours of contact teaching time with the students each day. The rest of the time for students is spent in Specials and Spanish class. Middle and high school also have apple time to plan lessons and take a break between classes.” – American School of Asuncion (Asuncion, Paraguay) – 145 Comments
If you have an interesting and useful comment to add related to the awesome parts at your school that you would like to share, log in to International School Community and submit your comments. For every 10 submitted comments, you will get one month of free premium membership added to your account!
continue readingComparing the Schools and Comments
Comparing the Schools and Comments: Working in Germany
December 31, 2015
Around the world, there are cities that have more than one international school. Many times there is an American school, a British School, and an international school that uses an international curriculum.
Some cities, though, have MANY international schools! When that is the case, how do the comments about each school compare to each other?
This blog series looks at comparing some of these comments, all coming from international schools in the same city (in this case, the same country).
Germany
Currently, we have 43 schools listed in Germany on International School Community.
Schools with the most submitted comments:
Berlin British School (Berlin, Germany) – 31 Comments
Strothoff International School (Frankfurt, Germany) – 49 Comments
Metropolitan School Frankfurt (Frankfurt, Germany) – 36 Comments
Bavarian International School (Haimhausen, Germany) – 30 Comments
International School of Stuttgart (Stuttgart, Germany) – 30 Comments
International School of Dusseldorf (Dusseldorf, Germany) – 22 Comments
Berlin Brandenburg International School (Berlin, Germany) – 22 Comments
School Building and Campus
“The school building is actually a historic sight. There are a lot of different buildings included in the whole campus. They are connect with stone arches overlooking a lush forest and lakeland. There are running tracks and football pitches that are well taken care of. The campus is also very secure, there is a gate with a guard.” – Berlin Brandenburg International School
“The campus is located in a beautiful little hamlet north of Munich. The school includes a new sport center and a 18th century German Castle (Schloss). There are purpose built trailers located on either side of the middle building. But these are high-end, double story buildings that would rival the any classroom. The primary school is located in a different part of the campus than secondary, but they are connected. There are Promethean boards in every classroom and dedicated wifi.” – Bavarian International School
“2 km from the nearest U-bahn station. It’s in a road with offices and factories. It’s a strange place to put a school. The road is busy and I’m surprised there hasn’t been an accident. Why isn’t there a crossing for the children? The playground is far too small for the student population. It’s very dangerous. When you’re on duty you can guarantee there will be bloodshed every time.” – Metropolitan School Frankfurt
“It is not a perfect technical environment. Equipment is outdated; Strothoff IT are idiots and do not help; however, in general, grounds and building are OK.” – Strothoff International School
Expectations of Staff
“Teachers in secondary, have 2 duties per week, and attend at least one meeting per week after school. We are expected to be in school form 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday.” – Berlin British School
“Workload is much heavier than other international schools I have taught at. ALL teachers (yes, all!) have 5 preps. Yes-5 preps. You will work more hours here than at any other international school in the Frankfurt region. Extra hours and additional time are not compensated in any way.” – Strothoff International School
“Teachers at ISS are required to cover for other teachers who are sick or absent. Teachers are expected to do extra curricular activities and this duty is classified as a B role on the salary scale. Meetings are held weekly and after school – they are badly organised and usually a waste of time.” – International School of Stuttgart
Flight and Moving-in Allowances
“Moving allowance is approximately 500 (quoted in USD). They pay for your ticket there, but there isn’t a flight allowance after that.” – Berlin Brandenburg International School
“Moving allowance is 2000 for single teachers and 4000 for teaching couples. There is a flight allowance every 2 years. Amount depends on location of point of origin.” – International School of Dusseldorf
“Travel expenses is an area that school needs to improve on. New staff members receive 1000.00 Euros moving allowance but that is taxed, so it is about 700.00 Euros It is not possible to move into such an expensive city on that allowance.” – International School of Stuttgart
“You also can apply for some personal days, but you don’t get paid for them typically.” – Bavarian International School
PD Allowances
“In theory you get to do an IB workshop every second year. In reality it depends on how much people in power like you. If you schmooze with them you get good PD opportunities and if you don’t they relish hurting you.” – Metropolitan School Frankfurt
“The school is pretty good at offering PD for all staff.” – Berlin British School
“Professional Development is not a good as it use to be. They have capped it and it is hard to receive PD based on what you need. They provide some in house PD.” – International School of Stuttgart
(These are just 4 of the 65 different comments topics that on each school profile page on our website.)
If you work at an international school in Germany, share what you know. Consider becoming a Mayor for unlimited premium membership!
continue readingTraveling Around
Traveling Around: Berlin, Germany (The life of an international school teacher is good!)
April 29, 2015
Traveling Around: Berlin, Germany
Can you relate?
• Tasting your first currywurst and the smell of it following you everywhere
• Getting the feeling that art is everywhere around you
• Being enchanted by design of the old metro (U-Bahn) smelling like hardware store
• Wanting to go up the big tower, but never getting around to doing so. When the weather was perfect to go up, you find yourself too tired or too far away to go.
• Hoping that it was going to be more spring-like, but then finding out it wasn’t that spring-like just yet. Seems like spring is coming later and later nowadays…
• Seeing quite impressive building murals around the city. Who does these art installations anyway? So cool!
• Finding so many alternative people, restaurants, etc. all around the city. People had even spray painted “Vegan revolution” on the walls.
• Being shocked to be bombarded with hail on multiple days. It looked like it was snowing with all this hail everywhere!
• Running into a restaurant called “White Trash Fast Food” and then hearing that it is actually a posh, good-tasting restaurant.
• Forgetting that Berlin actually has many canal rivers running around the city, ala Amsterdam.
• Loving the lovely walks through the beautiful city parks, on nice, pretty warm sunny days.
• Realizing the size of the city (9 times bigger than Paris) by not being able to walk around the city center and seeing everything in 5 days.
• Staying at a hotel for three nights in what was probably the noisiest room. The hotel also had a HUGE number of little children running around, a bit chaotic.
• Taking advantage of the cheap public transport from the city airport to the city center. Other cities can learn from Berlin and take a note of this! No one wants their way from the airport to the city center to be too expensive or too long of a journey.
• Being open-mouthed in awe to find an enormous section of canned hotdogs in one of the aisles. Who needs that many kinds of canned hotdogs?
• Staying at a very nice hotel for only one night, too expensive to stay more nights. The view from the breakfast room was awesome!
• Buying super expensive bottled water at the Tegel airport. Airport shouldn’t have the option to sell bottled water at such a high price. It was around four EUROS!
Currently we have 7 international schools listed in Berlin, Germany on International School Community:
• Berlin Brandenburg International School (11 comments)
• Berlin British School (31 comments)
• Berlin International School (12 comments)
• Galileo Gymnasium (Germany) (11 comments)
• John F. Kennedy School Berlin (11 comments)
• Nelson Mandela School
• Phorms Berlin Mitte
If you are on a trip right now, away from your host country, write to us at admin@internationalschoolcommunity.com with your “Can you relate?” traveling experiences. Tell us where you are traveling in the world, what you are seeing and how you are coping with any culture shock. Once your Traveling Around experience is posted on our blog, International School Community will give you 6 free months of premium membership!
continue readingMember Spotlights
International School Community Member Spotlight #30: Kathleen Ralf (A teacher at Frankfurt International School & Wiesbaden)
March 2, 2014
Every 1-2 months International School Community will highlight one of our members in our Member Spotlight feature. This month we interviewed Kathleen Ralf:
Tell us about your background. Where are you from?
My name is Kathleen Ralf and I work at Frankfurt International School & Wiesbaden as a Humanities and English Teacher.
I was born and raised in the Seattle area. After I received my degree I moved east to the wild desert side of Washington State. I taught English and History in a public school in Wenatchee, Washington for 12 years before deciding to make my move overseas.
How did you get started in the international teaching community?
One day on my way to work I thought to myself… “Is this all there is? Am I just going to keep driving the same road, teaching the same old stuff to the same community, for the rest of my life?!!!” This realization really troubled me. So I started applying directly to schools that were linked to the website of the Association of German International Schools. My husband’s family is in Germany, his mother tongue is German, so it made sense that this would be the place to go.
Which international schools have you worked at? Please share some aspects of the schools that made them unique and fun places in which to work.
I started my international career at the International School of Stuttgart. The school was in its first years of major transition. They had a head of school that was dynamic and excited about the changes ahead. I started that year in a cohort of about 12 new to Stuttgart teachers. The community of teachers in Stuttgart is wonderful and supportive. Class trips were definitely a highlight to the school year. These were the moments when I really saw the best in my students and in my colleagues. Dragging 60 students through the crowded streets of Salzburg is a life skill.
I am in my first year at Frankfurt International School & Wiesbaden. This school is one of the oldest International Schools in Europe and has a great academic and athletic reputation. The school is much bigger than Stuttgart, but I find this exciting. The kids are from a greater mix of countries and teachers come here stay. There are so many projects and activities for kids and teachers to involve themselves in here. My favorite so far has been in caring for our adopted Roman watchtowers.
Describe your latest cultural encounter (or reverse cultural encounter) in your current placement, one that put a smile on your face.
Recently I had some time to kill with my 6th graders. We had finished up a unit, and I really didn’t want to start the next thing on a Friday before a holiday. One of my students jumped up and said, “Let’s play hangman!” Ok, I thought. I went up to the white board and drew the gallows and began placing the short lines below for my word. The Europeans in the crowd started yelling at me. “Mrs. Ralf! That is not how you play Hangman!”
I stepped back and let them take over. You see in Western Europe you don’t make a gallows. You just draw the lines for the letters of your word. With each guess, you then draw the gallows and eventually hang your man. I asked the question why, but the 6th graders had no answers. I figured that German and Dutch words could be quite long; therefore they need more chances for guessing. Or are these cultures just much more peaceful? No one wants his or her hangman to die.
What are some important things that you look for when you are searching for a new position at an international school?
I made my most recent move to Frankfurt from Stuttgart because of workload. I had 6 preps in Stuttgart and at one point traveled to 3 different rooms. My office was nowhere near any of the rooms in which I taught. It was a harried race for 4 years. I loved my colleagues and students, but I loved my health, family, and sanity more.
When looking for a new school, I ask a lot of questions. How many preps will I have? How many classes a day? What is the meeting/collaboration schedule like? Do you meet with teams/departments after school or within the school day? What are the expectations on teachers for duties beyond the classroom? (i.e. covering classes, hallway duty, clubs, etc.) When do most teachers go home after work? Not when are contracted hours, find out about the work culture of the school. Do teachers bust out the minute the bell rings? Or do they hang around to plan, collaborate, and work with students? What is the change-over rate of the teachers? Does the school value hiring families?
In exactly 5 words, how would you describe the international school teaching experience?
Rejuvenating, Creative, Innovative, Culturally Rich
Thanks Kathleen! You can check our more about Kathleen at her blog.
If you are a member of International School Community and would like to be our next member spotlight, contact us here. If we choose to highlight you, you will get a coupon code to receive 6 months free of premium access to our website!
Want to work for an international school in the Germany like Kathleen? Currently, we have 39 international schools listed in Germany on International School Community. Here are a few that have had comments and information submitted on their profiles:
• Berlin Brandenburg International School (11 Comments)
• Berlin British School (13 Comments)
Galileo Gymnasium (Germany) (11 Comments)
John F. Kennedy School Berlin (11 Comments)
Bonn International School (17 Comments)
International School Braunschweig (Wolfsburg) (19 Comments)
Dresden International School (15 Comments)
International School of Dusseldorf (22 Comments)
• Franconian International School (Erlangen) (13 Comments)
• Strothoff International School (27 Comments)
• Bavarian International School (30 Comments)
• International School Hamburg (14 Comments)
• International School of Stuttgart (24 Comments)
continue readingHighlighted Year for Int’l Schools
International schools that were founded in 1990 (Caracas, Jakarta, Cairo & Berlin)
August 18, 2012
Random year for international schools around the world: 1990
There is much history in the international teaching community. We have international schools with founding dates of 1838 and 1854 and we also have many, many international schools with founding dates in the 21st century. The numbers are increasing for sure.
Utilizing the database of the 1264 (18 August, 2012) international schools currently listed on International School Community, we found 22 international schools that were founded in 1990. Here are a few of those schools that also have had comments and information submitted on them on our website (excepts about their founding are taken from the schools’ websites)
International Christian School (Caracas) (5 Comments) (Caracas, Venezuela)
“It was founded in 1990 as Academia Cristiana Internacional de Caracas. The school provides preschool (3 year old) through 12th Grade and is accredited by both Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Association of Christian Schools International. ICS Caracas is a part of the Network of International Christian Schools.”
North Jakarta International School (20 Comments) (Jakarta, Indonesia)
“NJIS, previously known as North Jakarta International School, is an independent, co-educational international school. It was founded in 1990 and is fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). NJIS is also a member of the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS).”
Berlin Brandenburg International School (10 Comments) (Berlin, Germany)
“The International School Berlin-Potsdam (ISBP) was founded on 2 October 1990 and located in an eastern area of Potsdam in a large, rented villa on the Heiligensee waterfront. In September 1994, the school opened a second facility in a recently renovated villa down the street for its growing upper school. On 1 June 2002 the school announced that it was changing its name to Berlin Brandenburg International School (BBIS) as of 1 September 2002. This change recognizes the fact that the school is no longer in Potsdam, that it is grateful for the strong support of the State of Brandenburg, and that it serves students and families in a large geographical area very well known both inside and outside Germany.”
American International School in Egypt (13 Comments) (Cairo, Egypt)
“The American International School in Egypt has been one of Egypt’s leading schools since it opened its doors to its first 240 students in 1990. Today, AIS Egypt has two campuses, with a combined student population of over 2000 students.”
American International School of Mozambique (11 Comments) (Maputo, Mozambique)
“The American International School of Mozambique, founded in 1990, is an independent, coeducational day school offering an American-style educational program in English from PK through grade 12. The school year begins in mid-August and ends in mid-June. The School is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors, 6 of whom are elected by the AISM Association and one appointed by the U.S. Ambassador.”
The English Modern School (Doha) (7 Comments) (Doha, Qatar)
“Founded in 1986 as an independent and private educational institute, Stafford is a coeducational, international school. It follows the British curriculum which prepares the students for the London University IGCSE and Advanced (A/S, A/L) Level examinations. High performance in these British exams qualifies students for entry into British and other foreign universities. The curriculum is stringent and comprises a broad and balanced range of subjects.”
Check out the rest of the international schools listed on International School Community and check out their histories as well! We have over 1264 international schools that have profile pages on our website.
continue readingGreat Resource
Great resource: Want to work at an international school in Germany?
October 21, 2011
The How To Germany website (www.howtogermany.com/pages/internationalschools.html) has some excellent insight on the many international schools in Germany.
There are many international educators interested in working at these schools. Currently, there are 21 international schools listed under Germany on International School Community. There are 20 international schools listed on the How To Germany website. Some of the international schools listed on their website are:
Highlighted sections from their website:
There are compelling reasons why you might choose to send your children to one of Germany’s many fine international schools.
“Many English-speaking expatriates are educating their children at Germany’s international schools, and an education at such a school has numerous advantages.
There is, of course, instruction in the native language. And, since the student body is usually quite international, they expose the young people to a variety of cultures. They also do a better job than most German schools of introducing the students to computers, and the program of sports and extracurricular activities is more like what they are accustomed to at home.
Physical plants and facilities are usually quite modern, clean and comfortable, with new equipment more conducive to learning. And the curricula among international schools is uniform, allowing ease of transfer. They usually are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and normally offer the International Baccalaureate. They may also offer the American high school diploma, British A Levels and, sometimes, the GermanAbitur.
The costs vary from school to school and in some cases may approximate what a US college education commands: as much as €16,000 per high school student per year. Preschool and elementary school grades may cost 30 to 50 percent less. Additional costs could include transportation, lunches, class trips and various special activities.”
Berlin Brandenburg International School
“Berlin Brandenburg International School (BBIS), founded in 1990, is an inclusive, coeducational English language day and boarding school serving the internationally-minded community of Germany’s capital region and beyond. The BBIS campus is located in the village of Kleinmachnow, bordering the southwest of Berlin, on a large, quiet wooded hill known as the Seeberg.
BBIS offers an international education programme. An International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, BBIS is the first IB school in the world to be fully authorized by the International Baccalaureate organization in Geneva, Switzerland to teach all four IB programmes covering the 3 to19 year-old age range. The school is also fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA).
From Early Childhood to grade 12, BBIS is truly an international school, with 680 students representing 60 nationalities. Classes are small, usually with fewer than 18 students. The school offers excellent facilities and an extensive extracurricular programme for students of all ages. In addition, specific support is provided for students with special needs and those for whom English is not a first language.
In grades 11 and 12 students have the opportunity to earn the IB Diploma, a qualification recognized by top universities throughout the world, or the IB Career-related Certificate, an exciting new professionally-oriented programme that, with a flexible and individualized curriculum, aims at helping students develop a broad range of career-related competencies.
The BBIS boarding facility, located directly on the school campus, houses 30 international students from grades 9 through 12. It is the first international, English-language IB World Boarding School in all of Germany. For more details please visit www.bbis.de.”
St. George’s International School
St. George’s International School has been an integral part of the international community in Nordrhein-Westfalen since 1985 when it was founded by an English family in Cologne. Since then, St. George’s has founded further schools in Duisburg (2002) and Aachen (2007). With over 1000 pupils in its three schools, St. George’s success lies in its aim to offer children happy school years.
St. George’s provides a full school day for pupils aged 3 to 18 and incorporates all school years including Nursery School and Reception Classes, Early Years, Lower School, Middle School, Upper School until A-Level or IB diploma. Both diplomas are accepted world-wide for university entrance.
Individual support and attention are placed on pupils in regard to their native school system thereby enabling them to return smoothly to their native country’s system if necessary. 45 % of St. George’s student body is comprised of German pupils and the rest comes from 35 different nations; hence integration is not only theory but is practiced on a daily basis. A school uniform further enhances integration and solidarity between pupils. All children are introduced and immersed in traditions, holidays and history of the local German culture.
It is St. George’s aim to achieve the highest possible academic standard by means of small classes (maximum 20 pupils per class), a dedicated and enthusiastic staff and a positive atmosphere throughout the school. The student-teacher ratio of 7.5 to 1 allows for individual attention to be placed on each pupil’s specific need, for stronger and weaker pupils alike. Non English speakers are given extra support through the ESL department. The first foreign language taught is German which is divided into German for native speakers and German for non-native speakers; the second foreign language taught is French. After school clubs are offered on a regular basis.
More information on the programs can be found at:
www.stgeorgesschoolcologne.de
www.stgeorgesschoolduisburg.de
www.stgeorgesschoolaachen.de
ISCommunity Newsletters
International School Community News v2011.06 – 9 October, 2011
October 9, 2011
Site Stats:
Current members: 151
School profiles: 897
Blog entries: 105
Posted comments & info: 1079
Facebook likes: 91
Twitter followers: 169
v2011.06 – 9 October, 2011:
Are you ready for your midterm break yet? If you live in China (or Asia in general), most likely you have already gone on your midterm trip. Some have gone to Bali, others to Vietnam. If you live in Europe, then your midterm break is probably in just 1-2 weeks time, or week 42 as it is known amongst the locals. Some will go to Malta, others to Greece. If you live in the United States and work for a public school, then you most likely will not get any week off of work until Christmas. Another one of the many perks teaching abroad at international schools!
We all need a break at this point in the year. Ironically though, some trips take time to plan…a lot of time! Hours and hours of searching on various search websites for flights. More hours searching and searching for the right hostal or hotel to stay at or what tour to join. The frustrating part sometimes is that the cheapest flight prices in certain countries are actually found on websites that are only in the host country’s language. Great if you can read that langauge, but a bit challenging if you don’t. It is good to have a native speaker help you out with checking out the airfares on those websites, just to double check you are getting the best deal.
The midterm break is a good chance to go visit some of your friends around the world. Got a friend now in Egypt? Now is your chance to go visit him/her! At International School Community, networking and gathering information is very easy. Get answers about schools that you are interested in by clicking on the school profile page link and sending a message to one of the members of that school on our website. It’s a great way to get firsthand information! Also, it is a great way to start making some new friends across the world that you can go visit. Currently, International School Community members work at or have worked at 72 international schools! Check out which schools here.
Photo by Duncan P Walker
Recently updated schools:
(Lisbon, Portugal)
“The general allowance for all the shipping, baggage, flight, etc…is 2,250 USD, which is also taxed and reimbursed in Euros….”· 08 Oct German-American International School (2 new comments)
(Menlo Park, United States)
“The settling-in allowance is 1000 U.S. dollars and the airfare allowance is the same amount as well but the flight is only for the start of the contract….”· 08 Oct International School of Kigali (7 new comments)
(Kigali, Rwanda)
“There are 21 full-time faculty, 1 classroom assistant and a Director who represent diverse nationalities. Nine nationalities are represented. Teachers are predominately from the US, with the UK, Uganda, Sri Lanka, and Kenya…”· 08 Oct Nishimachi International School (7 new comments)
(Tokyo, Japan)
“The school has a retirement plan, but it is only available to teachers after 3 years of service…”
· 06 Oct Universal American School (6 new comments)
(Hawalli, Kuwait)
“The school year comprises two semesters (four nine-week quarters of a 4X4 “accelerated block” schedule) between late August and early-June….”
(Click here for the last 40 schools to be updated with new comments)
Recent blog entries:
· Featured article: Moving Overseas with Children by Teachers International Consultancy (part 2)
“If your child is joining an international school where many expatriate children attend, then expect the school to be the social as well as the learning centre for the community…”
· The Wonderful World of Int’l School Hiring Fairs: Lesson #2 – “Energy is eternal delight”
“We have all had interviews in one of those hotel rooms where the interviewers seem disorganized, unaware really of who is sitting in front of them at the moment. Some interviewers due indeed look rather confused and out-of-sorts…”
· Educating children abroad can be an expensive business, so it’s important to start planning early
“One good benefit that international schools provide for their teachers is free tuition for their children to attend the school. That is worth around £20,000! Too bad teachers without children can’t pocket that money if they were offered the same benefit…”
· Comments and information about salaries on International School Community #1 (Hong Kong, Shanghai & Seoul)
“I have 14 years experience and my Masters. I earn about $1,500 per month in Won (about $400 of that is taken out of my paycheck for a retirement plan which is matched by school which I have access to at the end of the school year), and then another $2,000 in US dollars which is sent to my US account every month. I pay no taxes….”
· Great link – U.S. Dept. of State’s information on Teaching Overseas
“There is a list of 197 international schools that the U.S. Department provides assistance to. These school support an American-style education…”
Recently added schools:
- GD Goenka World School
(Gurgaon, India) - The Liger Learning Center
(Phnom Penh, Vietnam) - Branksome Hall Asia
(Seoul, South Korea) - International School of Kuantan
(Kuantan, Malaysia) - Greater Grace International School
(Budapest, Hungary)
Requested schools to be reviewed:
- American International School Chennai
(Chennai, India) - Yokohama International School
(Yokohama, Japan) - International School Zug and Luzern
(Baar, Switzerland) - International School Geneva – Campus des Nations
(Geneva, Switzerland) - Berlin Brandenburg International School
(Berlin, Germany)
This last month we have had visits from 60 countries around the world!
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1000 comments and information celebration:International School Community is celebrating over 1000 comments and information which have been posted now on our website! Currently, we are at 1079. For a limited time, all members can use the coupon code (1000COMMENTS) to get 50% off of their next premium membership subscription. With the coupon code: 1 month is only 5 USD, 6 months is now only 10 USD and 1 year is only 15 USD! Take advantage of this special deal now as this coupon code is valid only until 8 November, 2011. International School Community is the website to go to for international school teachers! New members:·Slc Chu (International School Singapore) Current Survey Topic:Member spotlight: |
 Highlighted Link
An international school’s encounter with internet pirates“Over the past several months, the International School of Stavanger has been challenged with a new and unpleasant phenomenon – being taken ‘virtual hostage’ by internet pirates.In February, 2011 we started getting some emails from candidates applying for non-existent ESL and English teaching jobs. They referred to having seeing ads on various ESL employment websites.When I went onto one of these websites, sure enough there was a posting for an ESL job at our school starting in May 2011. The job would pay benefits including 1800 Euro per month and the advert suggested applicants write to an individual (who really does work here), referring to her as the ‘Recruitment Manager.’ Of course, the job was pure fiction. Probably the silliest part is the idea that we would be paying a Euro-based salary. The Norwegian Kroner is the only currency we use for salary payments. (However, that last piece of information is also what has led the police to believe that this mischief had been accomplished not by a disgruntled individual with a possible connection to the school, but was probably was a ‘phishing’ expedition.)” |
 Highlighted blog of an international teacher:
The Night Before “Once I get there I am sure the excitement will set in again. I am sure I will still have periods where I am homesick. I am so glad that the internet, cell phones and skype have all been invented, and I have access to them.” Getting to know the school “The schedule here is quite interesting and confusing right now. They have an 8 period day, but periods 1 &2, 3 & 4, and 6 & 7 are block periods. Periods 5 and 8 are single periods. They also do not have the classes the same time everyday.”*If you are an international school teacher and would like your blog highlighted on International School Community contact us here. |
Information for Members
Which Regions of the World Have the Most Comments on ISC?
July 12, 2021
Finding comments and reviews on the schools we want to know about is a top priority for most ISC members. We have a number of features on our website that help our members do just that!
Using the School Search feature on the ISC website, members can specifically search only for the international schools that have had comments submitted on them. All members need to do is use the filter feature + tick the “schools with comments” box. Here are the current results we got (from 12 July 2021) along with five random schools from that region:
Asia: 69 Schools
American International School Dhaka (130 total comments)
American Embassy School New Delhi (39 total comments)
Good Shepherd International School (409 total comments)
Kodaikanal International School (53 total comments)
Indus International School (Pune) (43 total comments)
Caribbean: 24 Schools
The Codrington School (Int’l School of Barbados) (83 total comments)
Somersfield Academy (44 total comments)
The Bermuda High School for Girls (41 total comments)
International School St. Lucia (West Indies) (21 total comments)
International School of Havana (20 total comments)
Central American: 32 Schools
International School Panama (64 total comments)
Lincoln School (San Jose) (54 total comments)
Marian Baker School (33 total comments)
The British School of Costa Rica (31 total comments)
The American International School of Guatemala (Colegio Maya) (75 total comments)
Central/Eastern Europe: 73 Schools
International School of Belgrade (59 total comments)
Anglo-American School of Moscow (69 total comments)
Wroclaw International School (46 total comments)
American School of Warsaw (161 total comments)
International School of Latvia (33 total comments)
East Asia: 225 Schools
Canadian International School (Hong Kong) (168 total comments)
Concordia International School (Shanghai) (180 total comments)
Hong Kong International School (157 total comments)
Kang Chiao International School (Kunshan) (82 total comments)
Keystone Academy (129 total comments)
Middle East: 155 Schools
American International School of Kuwait (74 total comments)
International College Beirut (121 total comments)
Awsaj Academy (43 total comments)
Qatar Academy (Doha) (71 total comments)
Dhahran Ahliyya Schools (103 total comments)
North Africa: 41 Schools
Alexandria International Academy (79 total comments)
American International School in Egypt (Main Campus) (64 total comments)
Cairo American College (196 total comments)
Misr American College (53 total comments)
George Washington Academy (97 total comments)
North America: 51 Schools
American School Foundation of Guadalajara (133 total comments)
American School Foundation of Mexico City (72 total comments)
American School Foundation of Monterrey (129 total comments)
International High School of San Francisco (37 total comments)
Atlanta International School (31 total comments)
Oceania: 9 Schools
Woodford International School (12 total comments)
Port Moresby International School (8 total comments)
Majuro Cooperative School (16 total comments)
Kwajalein Senior High School (24 total comments)
International School Nadi (9 total comments)
SE Asia: 187 Schools
Ican British International School (74 total comments)
Northbridge International School (59 total comments)
Green School Bali (168 total comments)
Sekolah Victory Plus (143 total comments)
International School of Kuala Lumpur (135 total comments)
South America: 66 Schools
The American Int’l School of Buenos Aires (Lincoln) (48 total comments)
Colegio Nueva Granada (60 total comments)
American School of Asuncion (145 total comments)
Colegio Internacional de Carabobo (114 total comments)
Uruguayan American School (32 total comments)
Sub-Saharan Africa: 72 Schools
The American School of Kinshasa (59 total comments)
International Community School Addis Ababa (80 total comments)
International School of Kenya (52 total comments)
Saint Andrews International High School (41 total comments)
American International School Abuja (77 total comments)
Western Europe: 172 Schools
American International School Vienna (81 total comments)
International School of Paphos (123 total comments)
Copenhagen International School (395 total comments)
International School of Stuttgart (78 total comments)
Berlin Brandenburg International School (87 total comments)
Well those are all the regions of the world on our website. In total, we now have over 1176 international schools that have had comments and reviews submitted on them! Our goal is to keep that number going up and up. Thanks to our hundreds of Mayors as well for keeping their schools consistently updated with new comments and information every one or two months.
* To access these school links you do need to have premium membership access. Become a paid member today! Or if you would like to become a Mayor and get free unlimited premium membership, send a request here.
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